Sensex Falls 550 Points as Nifty Slips 0.63% Amid Profit Booking; Metals Buck the Weak Trend

Mumbai, 24 October 2025: Indian equity markets extended losses in Friday’s afternoon session as investors booked profits after a six-day rally, with FMCG, banking, and pharma shares dragging benchmarks lower. Metals counters, however, continued to attract buying interest, providing some support to overall market sentiment.

Sensex and Nifty Show Notable Decline as Volatility Edges Higher

By 1:49 PM, the Sensex was down 550.05 points (0.65%) at 84,006.35, while the Nifty 50 slipped 163.65 points (0.63%) to 25,727.75. The India VIX rose 0.87 points to 11.84, reflecting a slight increase in short-term market volatility. The decline came amid cautious positioning ahead of key Q2 corporate earnings and sectoral rotations.

Metal Stocks Rally Nearly 1% While FMCG, Pharma, and Banks Lag Significantly

Metal counters remained the bright spot, led by buying in Hindalco and Tata Steel, which helped push the segment up by nearly 1%. In contrast, FMCG heavyweights like Hindustan Unilever (HUL), pharma majors such as Cipla and Laurus Labs, and private banks including Kotak Mahindra Bank faced selling pressure, reflecting caution following recent quarterly results.

Market Breadth Shows Strong Selling Pressure Across NSE

Out of 3,039 stocks traded on the NSE, 1,741 declined, 1,184 advanced, and 114 remained unchanged. A total of 48 stocks, including MRF, Hindalco, and Federal Bank, touched 52-week highs, whereas 29 stocks recorded fresh lows. Additionally, 49 stocks were locked in the upper circuit and 38 stocks in the lower circuit, highlighting a mixed performance amid profit-taking and selective buying.

Top Nifty Movers Highlight Divergence Between Metals and Consumer Plays

Among Nifty 50 constituents, Hindalco, ONGC, Shriram Finance, Bharti Airtel, and ICICI Bank were the top gainers, buoyed by sectoral rotation and commodity-led demand.

On the other hand, HUL, Cipla, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Max Healthcare, and UltraTech Cement fell sharply, with Colgate-Palmolive dropping about 4% post its quarterly results, underscoring investor caution in consumer and pharma stocks.

High Trading Volumes Concentrated in Vodafone Idea and Sammaan Capital

Trading activity was dominated by Vodafone Idea, with 50.21 crore shares exchanging hands, followed by Sammaan Capital (4.59 crore), TATAGOLD (4.43 crore), Yes Bank (4.40 crore), and PTC India Financial Services (4.31 crore). High volumes indicate focused attention on select large-cap and corporate plays amid broader market softness.

Midcap and Smallcap Segments Show Mixed Performance; Metals Outperform While Select FMCG Dips

In midcaps, National Aluminium, Blue Star, Cummins India, Oberoi Realty, and Motilal OFS gained 2–4%, while Colgate, IGL, Patanjali Foods, Godfrey Phillips, and Jubilant Foods declined 1–3%. Smallcaps such as CreditAccess, Signature Global, Aptus, Hindustan Copper, and PNB Housing Finance advanced 2–5%, whereas Aegis Vopak, Jindal Saw, Aster DM, MCX, and Delhivery fell 2–3%, reflecting selective buying and risk-off sentiment.

Domestic equities faced profit-booking pressures amid a cautious outlook ahead of Q2 corporate earnings, with metals offering partial support. Market breadth and volatility indicate ongoing rotation across sectors, highlighting the importance of monitoring sectoral trends and trading volumes for daily market developments.

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